Maratha Empire: Foundation, Shivaji & Conflicts

Maratha Empire: Foundation and Early Challenges

• Shivaji Maharaj, born in Shivner near Pune in 1627, founded the Maratha Empire.
• Shivaji's family originally served the Ahmednagar Sultanate before moving to the Bijapur Sultanate.
• Shivaji's father, Shahaji Bhosle, served in Bijapur, while Shivaji focused on expanding Maratha territory.
• Shivaji learned guerilla warfare tactics from Malik Ahmed of Ahmednagar.

Expansion and Conflict

• Shivaji initiated military expansion by attacking Bijapur.
• Aurangzeb, recognizing Shivaji's growing power, first encountered him in 1657.
• Aurangzeb dispatched Afzal Khan to subdue Shivaji, but Shivaji killed him.
• Aurangzeb then sent Shaista Khan, who was defeated and humiliated by Shivaji.
• Shivaji looted Surat in 1664, a major trading center, to finance his military endeavors.
• The looted wealth from Surat was used to finance his kingdom and army.
• Shivaji captured 35 forts, which were originally part of the Bahmani Sultanate and later controlled by the Mughals.

Purandar Treaty and Subsequent Events

• Aurangzeb deployed Raja Jai Singh to counter Shivaji, leading to the siege of Purandar Fort in 1665.
• The Treaty of Purandar required Shivaji to surrender 23 of his 35 forts to the Mughals.
• As part of the treaty, Shivaji's son, Sambhaji, was taken as a hostage to ensure Shivaji's compliance.
• Shivaji visited Aurangzeb but was imprisoned; he later escaped from Jaipuri Mahal.
• After escaping, Shivaji looted Surat again in 1670.
• Aurangzeb reinstated the Jizya tax.

Coronation and Later Campaigns

• Shivaji was crowned king in 1674 in a formal Rajyabhishek ceremony conducted by Ganga Bhatt.
• The last military campaign led by Shivaji was in Karnataka in 1677.
• Shivaji died in 1680.
• Shivaji had an advisory council of eight ministers known as the Ashta Pradhan.

Succession and Internal Strife

• Shivaji's successors included Sambhaji and Rajaram.
• Sambhaji's son was Shahu; Rajaram's son was Shivaji II.
• Sambhaji provided refuge to Akbar II, Aurangzeb's rebellious son, leading to conflict with the Mughals.
• Aurangzeb captured and executed Sambhaji, and imprisoned Shahu.
• After Sambhaji's death, Rajaram became the ruler, followed by his wife Tarabai, who ruled on behalf of her minor son Shivaji II.

Aurangzeb's Death and Maratha Resurgence

• At the time of Aurangzeb's death, the Maratha Empire was under Tarabai's control.
• Bahadur Shah, Aurangzeb's successor, released Shahu, hoping to create internal conflict within the Maratha Empire.

Shahu's Rule and the Rise of the Peshwas

• Shahu returned and defeated Tarabai to become the ruler.
• Shahu appointed Balaji Vishwanath as his Peshwa (Prime Minister).

Expansion under Balaji Vishwanath

• Balaji Vishwanath secured recognition from the Mughal ruler Farrukhsiyar through a treaty in 1717; this is known as the Magna Carta of the Marathas.
• After Balaji Vishwanath died, his son Bajirao became the Peshwa.

Bajirao's Military Campaigns

• Bajirao secured the Treaty of Munshi Shivgaon with the Nizam of Hyderabad to ensure peace in the south.
• Bajirao advocated for attacking the roots of the Mughal Empire instead of local branches.
• Bajirao launched an attack on Muhammad Shah in Delhi in 1737, extracting a large sum as tribute.
• Nadir Shah invaded and plundered Delhi in 1739 after Bajirao's attack, exposing Mughal weakness.
• Bajirao did not lose a single battle.

Bajirao's Successors and Further Conflicts

• After Bajirao’s death, Balaji Bajirao became the Peshwa.
• Balaji Bajirao made an agreement that the Peshwas would be the defacto rulers, not the Chhatrapatis
• Ahmad Shah Abdali invaded India and defeated the Marathas at the Third Battle of Panipat in 1761, ending Maratha dominance.
• The British East India Company took advantage of the weakened Mughal and Maratha powers to establish control.